Every year, hackers find ways to make more victims. To do this, they constantly vary their way of working. Here are the most decisive.
Hackers are constantly improving their hacking methods to reach many more people. Despite awareness raising and published good practices, more and more French people are falling into their traps. As usual, the site cybermalveillance.gouv.fr released its report on the state of the cyber threat. And unsurprisingly, individuals are affected as much as businesses. Here are the types of hacks that claim the most victims.
Phishing
Phishing is the piracy that affects the most individuals in France. This is a method of online fraud that exploits the gullibility of Internet users to steal sensitive information. Cybercriminals are constantly improving their techniques to create legitimate-looking messages, often disguised as official communications banks or government institutions. The latter contain links that refer to fake sites imitating the design of the official sites of these organizations in order to extract all the desired information.
In 2023, this fraud system constitutes 38% of hacks which affected individuals. It comes in second place for companies and associations, with 21.2%.
Account hacking
Account hacking is the fraud that most affects businesses and institutions, with 23.5% of reported frauds. Hackers exploit vulnerable passwords or outdated systems to enter company and institutional records to retrieve customer data. It is in particular the case of Free which saw nearly a million of its users' banking details put up for sale on the Dark Web.
Ransomware or ransomware
Ransomware, often referred to by its English term ransomware, is the third cyber threat hitting businesses and associations. Originally designed to extort money by encrypting essential files on a user or company's systems, ransomware has evolved into more complex models. Some modern variants don't just block access to data; they also steal sensitive information and pressure victims to pay not only to regain their access, but also to avoid it being put up for sale.
According to data from cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, ransomware is on the rise again after a certain decline in 2022. Today, it constitutes 16.6% of fraud affecting businesses and associations.
SEE ALSO: Smartphone hacking: how do hackers succeed?
The fake bank advisor scam
The fake advisor scam increased by 78% in France. This is a technique where malicious individuals pose as bank agents. Very often, the objective is to confirm the information they already have or extract more. These fraudsters exploit the trust clients place in their financial advisors and may contact by phone, email or even social media messages.
Keep in mind that your financial advisor will never ask you for your bank details nor your password. If you receive a suspicious call, the ideal is to contact your bank directly.
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